And a partridge in a pear tree...

I've been oooohhh so bad about blogging in December - and just when I've been telling some folks on my also tardy Christmas cards that I "keep" a blog. If it gets much worse, I'll be in Reid's territory for the number of blog posts in a month...

We've had a whirl-wind December, but it has been so much fun! I was proud to have been in Mountaineer Field for Pat White's last game in Morgantown - despite the f-f-f-freezing cold conditions! After much debate, we decided not to go to the bowl game :-( as we didn't want to travel the day after Christmas. Good thing, as Reid is nearly over his cold...E has a bad one (we wouldn't have taken her, but wouldn't want to be away from her when she's not feeling well)...and I am just now able to breathe with the cold that I'm fighting. It didn't help matters that yesterday, while shopping at Rite-Aid for some Zicam to help with what ails me, I bought some Zicam...got it home to Mom & Daddy's...cracked it open and swabbed it up my nose. It burned like Hell. I thought that may be strange as to why it burned so much. Then I took a second look at the box...I had purchased Zicam for Cold Sores. That could explain a lot.

We have the absolute best neighbors! If the folks in Fairmont think that they are in the "Friendly City," they must reconsider. Wheeling has that beat with our neighbors alone. (Also, please keep in mind that with the number of years we were on Coleman Ave in Fairmont, one set of folks in our neighborhood would be considered friends, another at least spoke to us, the rest would look at me like I had three heads when I spoke to them.)

Anyway, back to the nicest neighbors in the entire world, Marie & Jim...in November, Marie told me that there was a little elf in the neighborhood that liked to visit small children and the elderly during the Christmas season and asked if it would be alright if the elf visited Elizabeth. Me being, well...me, thought that Marie was talking about a little person that dressed up in tights and curly shoes and visited the children in the elder to make for some nice Christmas cheer. I told Marie that it would be fine, but that Elizabeth would likely be scared (as she is scared of just about everything!) Silly me, Marie & Jim are "The Elf!" On December 1st, they hung a stocking on our back door with a wrapped present in the stocking for Elizabeth. Then each morning, Elizabeth would hang the stocking on the door...at some point during the afternoon, The Elf would drop a present in the stocking for Elizabeth until Christmas. (And to think I was looking for an advent calendar!) Here are the 24 days of Christmas, the Elf of Wheeling style:

1. Miniature tree with trimmings
2. Little People on the Farm look & find book
3. My Friends Tigger & Pooh paint with water book
4. Tootsie Rolls in a bank with $1
5. Bubble Yum watermellon chapstick
6. Santa cup, bowl, and plate
7. Snow shovel (the tag said, "To: Daddy's Little Helper")
8. Peeps shaped like gingerbread men
9. Get Ready Santa lift-the-flap book
10. Animal crackers
11. Tweety Bird bag
12. Fleece blanket
13. Puppy puzzle
14. Rice Crispy Treats (in holiday colors of red and green, of course!)
15. Sesame Street At the Zoo book
16. Reindeer candy corn
17. Three pair of gloves
18. Santa night light
19. Baby blanket with a doll sewn on it (perfect size for the car ride home!)
20. M&Ms in a candy cane
21. The Land Before Time book
22. Two Hello Kitty headbands
23. Teddy Grahams
24. Baby doll

How cool is that? It made Elizabeth's first Christmas in Wheeling so special! Marie & Jim have made us feel so welcomed, too, from only a few hours - literally - after we moved in! We are so lucky!

We've had a great Christmas! We celebrated Rick & Carol's 41st anniversary on the 23rd shortly after Rikki & Doug got to Fairmont. We did Christmas Eve and morning with the Amoses in Fairmont. Elizabeth was a really, really good girl and got a faboo play kitchen, among many other things. (Must download pictures before I can post pictures...will do so soon!) Then later in the day we packed up the car and headed to Webster Spring to celebrate with my family. Got to Aunt Cathy's house just in time for dinner. It's always a good time when the Morton clan gets together! Yesterday evening we headed back to Sutton to spend a little more time with my folks. We had a great time watching the Mountaineers today - as Pat White became the only QB in football history to win four straight bowl games as a starter beating UNC in the Meineke Car Care Bowl - no question the best player in a Mountaineer uniform in my lifetime! Oh how he will be missed!!! Then we kicked the tail of Ohio State on the road in basketball. It is a great day to be a Mountaineer - wherever you may be!

Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night!